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{Editor´s note: A special art show will be held at Bistro Gallery on June 19th with a showcase of new #artwork from @jimmyvillegasart. The night will include cocktail specials, canapés and DJ. This story on Bistro Gallery is from our 2025 Summer print issue. You can see the electronic version here.}
Thoroughly redesigned, The Bistro Gallery is Puerto Vallarta’s first art gallery dedicated to showcasing South American art. Under the curation of Cristhiam Castillo, the gallery’s latest exhibition highlights a diverse range of Latin American talent, including Chilean artist Monica Villarroel and Colombian artists Uvaldo Torres (BaLDOT), Jimmy Villegas, Juan Manrique Silva, and Iván Guayasamin.
Casa Cupula’s Bistro Gallery was voted ‘Best LGBT+-Owned Art Gallery’ for the Puerto Vallarta Gays: Best of 2024 Awards. You can see a full list of all the winners here.
“This recognition affirms our mission to celebrate Latin American artists and their unique perspectives,” Castillo said. “The artists we feature bring a profound depth to contemporary art, intertwining their personal histories, cultural influences and social commentaries.”
Castillo has worked with these artists since 2018, and the art on display represents a range of Latin American diversity.
Here’s a closer look at the featured artists:
Monica Villarroel
Villarroel, a distinguished visual artist, is the owner of Arte Del Contento and co-founder of the multicultural women’s collective Magnolias Colectivo in Belgium. Through her collective, she fosters the creative development of women artists, promoting multicultural connections in the European art scene. In 2021, West Vlaanderen newspaper recognized her as one of the five most influential people in the region.
The collective promotes the creative development of women artists and fosters connections to expand their artistic networks, emphasizing multiculturalism.
“In my latest paintings, I have given up on formal logic,” Villarroel said. “The images now respond to the unconscious, linked to dreams. I do not try to control or understand them. It is evident that the way they are presented could allude to a certain narrative, to build a theatrical scenario in which the observer constructs the plot. I am interested in ambiguity, that there is no single reading. Each spectator will always arrive at a different pursuit. In my paintings, there is a mixture of elements, some memories and fears from my childhood that follow me to this day. I try to put all these elements into a theatrical composition, influenced by films and series from the 1990s: loneliness, pain, life and death, and the fantasy of each daily situation exaggerated by the media.”
Uvaldo Torres (BaLDOT)
BaLDOT, of Colombia, has transitioned from the boxing ring to the art world. While always an artist, BaLDOT was a professional boxing champion before becoming known for his paintings. His athletic career and dedication influence his art. His works often reflect themes of struggle, resilience, and the human spirit, drawing on his experiences as a fighter. He uses bold colors, dynamic shapes, and a unique combination of abstraction.
“BaLDOT’s use of bold colors and abstract forms conveys the physicality and emotion of his past life as a fighter,” Castillo said. “His work tells a story of perseverance and transformation.”
Juan Manrique Silva
Silva, of Colombia, studied at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá from 1983-1988. He has been an art teacher for more than four decades, is active nationally and internationally as an artist, and has received numerous awards. His teaching career includes working with special education and communities affected by various social issues. His primary discipline is drawing, and he explores the possibilities of different materials. His art addresses themes of inclusion, environmentalism, social problems, child abuse, and the defense of the planet.
“His intention,” says Curator Castillo, “is to raise awareness of what happens to human beings and the planet. He has worked extensively with special education programs and communities affected by social injustice. His work is an urgent call for awareness, using mixed media and paper-based compositions to highlight critical global issues.”
Ivan Guayasamin
Guayasamin, of Colombia, born on the slopes of the Galeras volcano, is known for his Latin American indigenous expressionism. He has exhibited his work around the world for more than 40 years and has created more than 1,000 pieces using acrylic or oil on canvas applied with a spatula. His paintings are inspired by the expressions of indigenous Latin Americans.
“Guayasamin’s work is deeply rooted in indigenous identity and resistance,” Castillo said. “His exaggerated strokes and dominant ochre, dark, and red tones convey the beauty and pain of indigenous communities struggling to preserve their heritage.”
Guayasamin’s goal is to raise awareness, so that viewers capture the “beauty” found in the “pain” of the indigenous people’s connection to their land, their colonial and creative heritage. His works often feature ochre, dark, and red colors.
The Bistro Gallery
“We are proud to be the city’s first gallery dedicated to South American art,” Castillo said. “This exhibition represents a bridge between cultures, fostering greater understanding and appreciation for Latin American artists.”
With its bold curatorial direction and commitment to representation, The Bistro Gallery at Casa Cupula continues to ensure that diverse and underrepresented voices remain at the forefront of contemporary discourse.
Gallery Information
The Bistro Gallery is located at:
Amapas
Calle Jon De La Igualdad 129
Facebook, click here
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